adebukola adebanji's blog

The police at Ejigbo have begun a manhunt for a popular pastor who allegedly bolted with N10 million given to him by a member of his church to pray over it before he could use the money to start a business in Lagos State, western Nigeria. The pastor the police identified as Timothy Gabriel from Ihite, Anambra State, eastern Nigeria, resides at Jakande Estate, Ejigbo, where he also uses as his church and where the incident happened. The victim (namewithheld) reportedly obtained the loan from a bank with an interest which he intended to use to start a new business. It was learnt that before the victim went to the bank to process the loan, he informed the pastor whom he regarded as his spiritual father. The pastor promised him that he would offer prayers to God so that the loan would be obtained successfully.. When the victim finally got the loan, he informed the pastor about it and the pastor told him that he had a revelation from God that the money was a blood mone...

International interest in Nigeria’s political transition and the planned transfer of power from the Jonathan-Sambo presidency to the Buhari-Osinbajo presidency billed for May 29 has risen in the United States as President Barack Obama now considers sending a high-powered U.S. delegation to the event, officials said Wednesday. U.S. government sources said Mr. Obama is considering who might lead the American representatives to the event. Besides, at least two US Ivy universities-Harvard and Yale – have since held special review sessions where scholars were invited from around the U.S. and the world to give lectures and seminars on the outcome of the Nigerian elections, focusing on the emergence of a former military head of state, who is a Muslim from the North of Nigeria, and a Christian pastor, who is a law professor from the South as president-elect and vice president-elect respectively. Three names are already being mentioned in official U.S. and diplomatic circles ...

President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari (retd) yesterday, reassured Nigerians that the incoming government of All Progressives Congress, APC, will not fail them. Buhari, who hosted a delegation from Taraba State, also said by the end of his tenure in 2019, Nigerians would be confident of a society where elections would be free, fair and credible. Also, to underscore his inclination to the rule of law, the President-elect directed security personnel attached to his convoy to always heed traffic regulations and stop at red lights. Buhari’s assurance was sequel to lamentations from the governorship candidate of APC in Taraba State, Senator Aisha Alhassan, who led the Taraba delegation told Buhari that she was robbed of victory at the last gubernatorial election in the state. Alhassan’s story, however, took Buhari down memory lane as he encouraged the candidate, who had earlier informed him of her journey to the courts to challenge the outcome of the election in cou...

Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia of Federal High Court, Lagos, on Wednesday jailed an American for operating her mobile phone in court. Megan Chapman, Co – Executive Director, Community Legal Support Initiative was locked up by the judge at the court’s waiting cell for about 10 minutes, after an angry Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia walked her out. The American who was seated at the last bench, directly facing the judge, did not know that Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia was noticing her ‘romance’ with her phone. Having asked her to leave the court, Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia directed her support staff to escort the American to the waiting cell, where she stayed for about 20 minutes. She later ordered her release following appeals from lawyers in court. Confirming the incident, Chapman said she has learnt her lessons, adding that her action was not intentional. She said: “I was replying an urgent message. It was not like I intentionally disrespected the court but I have learnt my le...

No fewer than four persons, including two students and two women, have been reportedly killed by suspected cultists in different areas of Benin, the Edo State capital. The victims were said to have been killed on Tuesday. There have been an increase in cult-related killings recently in the state due to suspected reprisals. It was learnt that the ‎women, said to be the mothers of two men, who had been targeted by suspected cultists, were shot dead at Virginia Junction and New Benin both in the state capital, when the gunmen could not find their targets. The two students were said to be schooling at the Edo State College of Agriculture, Iguoriakhi, in Ovia South West Local Government Area of the state. They were said to be on their way to attend lectures when their assailants, who had laid an ambush in a nearby bush, shot them dead. The gunmen were said to have fled back into the bush after the attack. Irked by the attack, some students of the school were said to h...

The scarcity of petrol worsened, weekend, in Enugu and its environs with long queues at the few filling stations where the product was available. A visit round the metropolis showed that the scarcity had also led to a hike in the price of the product. The price ranged from N130 to N150 per litre in some filling stations while it was being sold for about N200 per litre in some black markets on the outskirts of the metropolis. The scarcity of petrol also led to a hike in transport fares in many motor-parks in Enugu and Nsukka by bus which used to be N300, is now between N450 and N500. Mr. Beloved-Dan Anike, Commissioner for Inter Ministerial Duty, however, attributed the scarcity to protests by oil marketers seeking the payment of their debts which the Federal Government had last week paid. Anike maintained that availability of products would improve in the days ahead, noting that government would check the arbitrary increase in pump price by private filling stations...

Ogun State Police Command on Saturday arrested three suspected ring leaders of a secret cult group, Aiye (Black Axe), in Ijako, Ado Odo-Ota Local Government Area of the state. The police command said detectives attached to Ota Division, led by the Divisional Police Officer, Muyideen Adisa, a chief superintendent of police, swooped on the hoodlums in an uncompleted building, where they were allegedly preparing to unleash terror on the residents. The three suspects arrested are Bamidele Adejare, Sodiq Gbadamosi and Olamilekan Omoola. The state Police Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said some dangerous weapons, including locally-made guns, cutlasses, charms among others, were recovered from them. He said, “The suspected cultists have confessed to many crimes, including participating in notable cult clashes that led to the death of many people in the Ota axis.” Also, he said on Sunday morning, detectives arrested a young man, Taiwo Wasiu, and a lady,Gbemiso...